1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to the dispensing of flexible web material such as toilet paper. Specifically, the dispenser and dispensing method of the invention involves the handling of multiple rolls of flexible web material wound on axially aligned core sections defining an intact roll core within each roll of material as long as web material remains wound of these core sections.
The intact core made up of the core sections forms an internal supporting means for the web of flexible web material wound thereon. This internal supporting means extends outwardly beyond the ends of the roll, these outward extensions forming spindles which serve as roll core supports for each roll in handling multiple rolls within the dispenser.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Jespersen U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,388 exemplifies a prior art dispenser for rolls of toilet paper having internal supporting means forming the roll core within each roll of flexible web material. In this patent the core for each roll is formed by a plurality of axially aligned core sections with each section providing a roll core support spindle projecting from an end of the roll of material.
In the dispenser of the Jespersen U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,388 a plurality of rolls of toilet tissue are accommodated with the roll core supports projecting from opposite ends of each roll being guidingly received in opposed parallel tracks facing inwardly of the dispenser housing. The upper roll physically rests on the lower roll with the lower roll being held in a dispensing position by supporting elements disposed at the lower ends of these opposed tracks.
Jespersen U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,600 may also be noted as disclosing a dispenser for rolls wound on a one piece tubular core.
The dispensing concept of these patents is that the split core defined by the axially aligned sections or one piece core is to drop out of the dispenser when the web of material is substantially exhausted. Thereafter, the upper or reserve roll within the dispenser which has been moving down on its roll core support spindles received in the opposed tracks, while resting on the lower roll, follows the lower roll into the dispensing position.
With the web dispensing system generally described above, there nearly always is some toilet tissue in the form of the web material remaining on the one piece roll core when the core finally falls out of the dispensing position. This not only involves a needless waste of toilet paper, but can contribute to jamming of the dispenser in the event that the core does not fully discharge from the dispenser when the toilet paper is nearly exhausted from the core. This is particularly true in a dispenser for rolls employing structurally rigid internal supporting cores such as disclosed in Jespersen U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,600.
In dispensers such as disclosed in Jespersen U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,388 even though all of the toilet paper is withdrawn from the lower roll in the dispensing position within the dispenser to be totally removed from the transversely split core, it is not always reliably certain that the core sections will drop out automatically. With the reserve roll resting on top of the empty core sections there frequently is too much friction between the top of the empty core sections and the bottom surface of the upper roll. This can prevent the core sections from dropping out automatically. Consequently, it may be required that these empty core sections be manually pulled out from the lower end of the dispenser.
Even when a reserve roll is not present within the dispenser, the empty core sections located in the dispensing position will not always drop out of the dispenser. This can be due to the friction of the core sections where the end caps providing the roll core support spindles remain frictionally engaged against the supporting saddles at the lower ends of the guide tracks within the dispenser.
Therefore, it remains important in the art of dispensing web material from split core rolls, i.e., cores made up of axially aligned core sections which define an intact roll core while web material remains would on such sections, to include means for facilitating and ensuring that the core sections are effectively buckled or separated after the toilet paper had been fully exhausted from being wound on such core sections. This assures the absence of toilet paper wastage or jamming of the dispenser by the core sections not effectively disengaging from the dispenser guide tracks.